Chapter 25

With Zain's initiative, the atmosphere in the hall started to flow. A trickle, but a flow nonetheless. A few guests approached him after they confirmed they were allowed to talk with him while braver ones tried their chance to talk with Vesper.

Shen Yuan watched everything from above. For now, the majority of the guests chose Zain over Vesper. It would be up to Zain's capability whether the ratio would persist until the end of the banquet.

Unsurprisingly, Vesper was also well-prepared for the challenge. He first targeted the merchants—who were much elated to speak to him—and hooked them with invaluable information. With all the state affairs he had been handling, his words were as precious as a four-leaf clover. None of the merchants dared to miss out on it.

After half an hour or so, he excused himself to get some refreshments and smoothly transitioned to a different stage, greeting the ladies with his charming smile. He could accurately gauge which topic was too heavy for them and stayed within the comfortable zone of casual talk. He even shared a couple of exclusive leaks of several popular brands' future products and events.

After another half an hour, he rotated back to the merchants who now had their own list of inquiries. He didn't even need to figure out how to start the conversation. All he needed to do was to answer.

Shen Yuan could already see the shift within the crowd. As he thought, however much ammo he gave Zain, it couldn't compare to Vesper's entire arsenal.

But for Zain to be absolutely emotionally bound to him, he must win this first trial.

2 hours into the banquet, a couple of guests started going to the mezzanine to take a brief rest. Shen Yuan sat on one of the couches and seamlessly blended himself in.

He was contemplating whether he should get a glass of champagne downstairs when he noticed a certain figure appear from the stairway and canceled his thought. Instead, he reclined back to his seat and overlapped his legs, exuding a unique air of leisure among the tense and excited guests.

"May I?"

Shen Yuan raised his head to the golden-haired prince. He gave a polite smile and gestured to the empty space next to him. "Be my guest."

The couch was wide enough for 4 adults to sit together, yet, taking a blind eye to the 3 people's worth of space, Vesper sat right next to Shen Yuan with only a fistful of gap between their knees. He offered one of the two glasses of champagne in his hands to Shen Yuan. "I notice you haven't taken a drink yet."

"What fortune to be noticed by a prince. I shall humbly accept." Shen Yuan accepted the glass, caressing the prominent fingers as he retrieved it. He chuckled under the prince's fervent gaze and took a sip.

Vesper rested his back on the couch, his eyes not leaving the unfamiliar face. Even still, like 2 pieces of a puzzle, his heart immediately clicked towards him. Just like the day he first saw him down the hallway.

And this person didn't hide that he knew perfectly well the turmoil he was causing.

"Is it alright for Your Highness to rest?" Shen Yuan swirled his glass lazily. "Your brother is working hard. He could overtake your popularity at any moment."

"Watch your words," Harold warned, his hand grabbing the hilt of his sword. His face had been sour ever since he saw how Shen Yuan didn't even stand in Vesper's presence. Not to mention making a prince ask for a seat. "Just because you're invited to this banquet doesn't mean you're equal to His Highness. Show proper respect."

Shen Yuan rolled his eyes and didn't bother to respond. Arguing with him would only attract attention. Though this type of person was the easiest to bully, they annoyed him the most. He would rather talk to a wall.

Besides, why should he waste his own energy if there was someone else to do it for him?

"Harold, you're dismissed," Vesper lightly said.

"Y-Your Highness…?"

"Are you going to make me say it twice?"

Harold stiffened in his stand and obediently—though indignantly—retreated with a bow. Shen Yuan ignored his resentful glance. "For such an excellent man, your choice of subordinate is…well, most curious."

"I don't hate a barking dog. What's important to me is loyalty." Vesper tapped on his glass with a cold, thoughtful look. "I suppose he needs retraining."

"Why not just get a new dog?"

"If someone is to gift me one, I might consider it." Vesper cast Shen Yuan a meaningful glance.

Shen Yuan chuckled. "I might not have a dog, but I can offer Your Highness a fox. Though I must say, he's rather difficult to impress."

"Can he be coaxed with some fancy treats?"

"If it's up to his taste." Shen Yuan leaned to his knee and tilted his head with an alluring smile, more intoxicating than any drink. "But if Your Highness is willing to pay a price, I can make him wear dog ears and play pet."

Vesper silently drank a mouthful, dousing the fire in his stomach from the mere image. The sweetness of the champagne was underwhelming in comparison to his fantasy and only heightened his thirst.

"What is a price that a prince is incapable of paying?" He rested his free hand between them and stole a touch of the slender thigh with the back of his fingers.

Not receiving any aversion from the other, he snaked his hand under his suit and savored his trail toward the beautifully carved spine. From when he saw him standing behind the pillar earlier, he could already tell he only changed his face while his body remained the same.

Every inch of his muscle filled the curve of his palm with pleasant satisfaction. As if his body was specifically made for him.

"Your Highness is well capable of paying it. It's only a matter of willingness." Shen Yuan straightened his back and closed what small gap remained between them. He settled into Vesper's side like a well-fitted glove. "All Your Highness needs to do is stay with me here until the end of the banquet."

"…" Vesper stared at Shen Yuan, deep and profound.

It didn't need to be said what Shen Yuan truly wanted.

"What makes you think I will be willing to pay such a price just for a fox?"

"The fact Your Highness is still enjoying yourself is well worth the chance."

Vesper pinched Shen Yuan's waist in reply, causing the other to jump on his seat and throw him a glare.

Never in his life had anyone dared to glare at him—he made sure of it. But if a glare could be this lovable, then receiving it wasn't a bad deal at all.

Seeing Vesper only enjoying himself more, Shen Yuan huffed in annoyance and downed the remaining of his drink. He propped himself to stand up. "Since Your Highness is unwilling, then—"

His butt had only left the cushion for a second when the hand around his waist yanked him back down to his seat, flumping him straight into Vesper's arm. Vesper chuckled and poured half of his remaining champagne into Shen Yuan's glass. "Not only he's hard to please, I see he's rather temperamental as well."

Shen Yuan looked at his glass and arched an eyebrow at Vesper.

Vesper smirked and raised his glass in reply. "I look forward to his performance."

"This shop only guarantees satisfaction." Shen Yuan followed and raised his glass. "Thank you for your patronage, Your Highness."

The clink of their glass sang into their ears, and they emptied their glass with unspoken content.

Through the rest of the banquet, Vesper stayed seated as promised without making a single attempt to stand. Servants came and went with his call to change their drinks and bring them food.

Shen Yuan didn't do him wrong and entertained him with stories of 'hypothetical worlds' of the modern and dystopian eras which, unsurprisingly, piqued his interest. Their concepts didn't exist in this world after all, not even in fictional books which were more like fairytales.

With their morality—or the lack thereof—at a similar wavelength, they naturally fell into various discussions without any discomfort.

The more they conversed, the more Vesper appreciated Shen Yuan's company. He was slightly surprised by his raw, unfiltered opinions at first, especially about the end of the world and the extinction of humanity, but exactly because of it, he could also speak his thoughts without worrying about being seen as a monster.

He never felt so…normal.

His heart didn't betray him. If it was this person…

The guests around them who wanted to talk more with Vesper tried to wait until they finished but could only give up after they kept going for an hour. Eventually, they decided to go back down to the main floor and approach the other prince instead.

It didn't take long for everyone to notice Vesper was gone from the main floor. When the king heard the report, he almost couldn't believe his ears and doubted whether his second son actually understood the trial.

He was doing so well in the first 2 hours. What the hell was he thinking?

On the other hand, Zain suspected it was part of a scheme and put his guard up. Meanwhile, the guests only wondered who was the person that could take the prince's undivided attention and what they were talking about that was so interesting.

The banquet continued with the subtle shift in the air until it ended once the clock struck midnight.